§ 55. Major BOWDENasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that paragraphs 109 and 515 of the Territorial Force Regulations, directing that service on the unattached list, Class A, and published on 12th June, 1912, are retrospective in effect, and that officers who joined the unattached list after the date of 31st March, 1911, and before the 1228 date of 12th June, 1912, were acting on the Regulation then in existence, and that officers went on the unattached list who would not have done so could they have foreseen that a Regulation might have been published retrospective in effect and which prevented their service on that list counting for the Territorial decoration as in the past; and will he consider the desirability of removing this grievance from officers who left the active list for the unattached list between the above dates?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY Of STATE for WAR (Mr. Tennant)The regulation referred to as having been published on the 12th June, 1912, was in fact published on 20th March, 1911, and came into force on 1st April, 1911. The hon. and gallant Member's question is therefore based upon a misapprehension.
§ 56. Major BOWDENasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that many Territorial commanding officers are bound, on completion of their term of command, either to retire or go on the Territorial Force Reserve before having had an opportunity of completing their twenty years' service on the active list, and that no officer is placed on the unattached list or can be appointed to the Territorial Force Reserve unless certified as being efficient and fully qualified for his substantive rank, and that under such service officers are subject to military law and liable for active service in the same degree as officers on the Territorial Force active list; and will he consider the desirability of amending the regulations so as to enable such officers to count service on the unattached list and the Territorial Force Reserve as qualifying service for the Territorial Force decoration?
§ Mr. TENNANTIf the hon. and gallant Member has any particular case of hardship in mind, perhaps he will furnish me with the particulars and I will look into them. It would, however, be unfair to officers on the active list that service on the unattached list or in the Territorial Reserve, which involves no duty, should count upon the same footing. Moreover, I am not aware that cases frequently arise of officers reaching the end of the eight years' tenure contemplated by the Regulations without having completed twenty years' service.
§ Major BOWDENDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that this is indeed a grievance, and it will go a long way to 1229 make the force more popular than it is to-day if that could be done and officers could have the Territorial decoration for that service?
§ Mr. TENNANTI will bear the suggestion in mind.